Double-acting window-shade.



No. 849,219. PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

/ M. EOKER.

DOUBLE ACTING WINDOW SHADE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 9, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTQE.

STERN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

DOUBLE-ACTING WINDOW-SHADE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed October 9, 1906. Serial No. 338,115.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURIcE EGKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, Oommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Double-Acting WVin- (low-Shade, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to curtains or shades such as are attached at windows for controlling the admission of light.

The object of the invention is to produce a construction and arrangement of parts which will enable the shade to be quickly moved into any position before a window and to enable the shade to cover any portion of a window, extending upwardly from the bottom or downwardly from the top.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of awindowcasement to which the invention is applied, certain parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device, the body of the cording connecting the parts thereof being represented as broken away. Fig. 4 is a side view of the end of one of the rollers upon which the shade may be wound, certain parts being shown in cross-section. Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating the manner of constructing certain pulleys which constitute a feature of the invention. Fig. 6 is an inner face view of a portion of one of these pulleys and Fig. 7 represents a horizontal section through a portion of the casement and illustrating the construction of the brackets which support the aforesaid rollers.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the window-casement, to the upper and lower parts of which shade-rollers 2 and 3 are respectively supported. At their inner extremities these rollers are formed with reduced necks, as shown, upon which ribbons 4 are wound, as indicated, the free extremities of the said ribbons being attached to the upper and lower edges of a shade or curtain 5.

As illustrated. in Fig. 2, the ends of the ribbons lie on the inner sides of the rollers, it being understood that the ribbons on the upper roller are wound in a right-hand direction, while those on the lower roller are wound in the opposite direction. From this arrangement the shade 5 may lie between the rollers, as indicated in Fig. 2, so as to substantially cover the entire window. At the left ends of the rollers 2 and 3 I provide enlarged collars 6, which operate to prevent the ribbons 4 from passing over the ends of the rollers, and beyondthese collars 6 the rollers are provided with axially-disposed gudgeons or center pins 7. The construction at the opposite end of the rollers 2 and 3 will now be described, referring especially to the lower portion of Fig. 1 at the right and also to Fig. 3. These ends of the rollers are provided with a central bore 8. In this central bore there is received the shank 9 of a cap 10, which is adapted to be secured on the end of the roller. 1n order to facilitate the attachment of this head 10, the inner face thereof is provided with spurs 1.1, which engage the material of the roller, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4. This head 10 constitutes the reduced neck, upon which the corresponding ribbon 4 is wound. Beyond this point the head 10 carries a loose pulley 12, and these pulleys aline with each other, as shown. Each pulley comprises a pair of collars 13, disposed apart, as indicated, and presenting substantially radially disposed Webs or ribs 14, which extend inwardly to the body of the head, as shown. The arrangement is such that when a cord 15 is passed around the pulleys it engages with these ribs 14 in such a way that it is given a sinuous or crooked form. Beyond the pulley 12 the rollers 2 and 3 are provided with axially-disposed rigid gudgeons 16, and each of these gudgeons carries rigidly a ratchet-wheel 17. The ratchet-wheel 17, which is carried by the upper roller, has teeth which project in the manner indicated in Fig. 3that is, on the upper edge of the ratchet-wheel they project toward the casement. The teeth on the ratchet-wheel 17 which is carried by the lower roller 3, project in the opposite direction. On the outer faces of the pulleys 12 pawls 18 are pivotally attached and the points of which are adapted to engage the teeth, as indicated. There are two of these pawls in connection with each pulley, so that one of them will always be disposed upwardly in such a way that it will be held by gravity in en agement with its ratchet-wheel. In order to orm stops for the pawls to hold them near the ratchet-wheels, the material of the pulleys is punched outwardly to form stops or nibs 19, which lie near the rear sides of the pawls, as indicated. The rollers 2 and 3 are supported between brackets 20, which brackets are constructed as indicated very clearly in Fig. 7. They present feet 21, which are adapted to be attached by suitable fastenings 22 to the faceof the easement, and have upwardly-projecting bodies 23, which incline inwardly toward the central vertical axis 'of the window, as shown. Near the outer extremities of the brackets each is pressed inwardly to form a cup 24., having an opening 25 therein, as indicated. These openings 25 receive the aforesaid gudgeons 7 and 16. It should be understood that the brackets 20 are formed of resilient material, such as steel or spring-brass, and these brackets normally tend to hold themselves in the position shown in Fig. 7. When the rollers are applied between the brackets, the brackets are forced slightly apart, so that by their resiliency they operate to press the ends of the rollers. In this way the rollers are subjected to a certain amount of friction in rotating. As indicated in Fig. 7, the bodies of the brackets are preferably disposed at an angle to the feet 21 which is slightly less than a right an le.

If it is desire to raise the curtain or shade 5 from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1, the outer runs 15 of the cord 15 will be pulled downwardly. This movement operates to rotate the upper pulley 12 in a lefthand direction that is, in a direction so that the pawls 18 carried thereby will rotate the ratchet-wheel 17. In this way the upper roller 2 will be rotated in a left-hand direction that is, in a direction which will wind the shade thereupon. If it is desired to move the shade in the opposite direction, the cord 15 will be pulled upwardly. This movement operates to rotate the lower ratchet-wheel carried by the roller 3 in a right-hand direction, and in this way the shade 5 will be wrapped upon the lower roller. By reason of the tension exerted upon the roller from which the ribbons are being unwound the ribbons and the curtain are maintained substantially taut. On account of the ribs 14, formed in the pulleys, the cord 15 operates effectively to rotate the pulleys without slipping. I On account of the presence of the bore 8, referred to above, it is possible to fit the rollers quickly to windows of different widths. If a Window is of unusually small width, the roller will be cut off to a reduced dimension, and the head 10 will be applied in the manner described The construction of the pulleys 12 is shown very clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. The collars 13 of these pulleys are formed with sleeves 26 of reduced diameter, and these sleeves are formed one with an undercut or dovetail notch 27, while the opposite sleeve is formed witha dovetail or wedgeshaped tongue. There are two of these notches and two of these tongues, so that the two collars which constitute the pulley may be slid laterally into engagement with each other in the manner indicated in Fig. 5. After they are in engagement the gudgeon or head 10 of the roller, which passes through the bore of the pulley operates to hold them in connection with each other. By making the pulleys in two parts in the manner'de'scribed the manufacture of the article by stamping is much facilitated, as collars of the necessary form may be readily stamped out from a blank.

Evidently with the construction described the shade may be held inthe position shown in Fig. 1, or more or less of the body of the shade may be wrapped upon either of the rollers 2 or 3. In this Way the shade can operate as an ordinary shade in being pulled down from the top, or it may operate like, a shade which is attached at the bottom and extended toward the top. On this account the shade may be considered as a double-acting shade. 2

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure'by Letters Patent l A 1.' In combination, a roller adapted to. be

attached near a window, a second roller adapted to be attached opposite the same, pulleys mounted on said rollers, an endless cord passing over said pulleys, means whereby each of said pulleys may rotate each corresponding roller in one direction only, a curtain normally disposed before said window,

and ribbons attached to said curtain and.

wrapping bodily on'said rollers, whereby said curtain may be made to wrap upon. itself on either of said rollers.

2. In combination, a roller adapted to be attached near a window, a second roller adapted to be attached opposlte the same, pulleys mounted on said rollers, an endless cord passing over said pulleys, means wherei by each of said pulleys may rotate its corresponding roller in one direction only, a cur.- tain normally disposed before said window, ribbons attached to said curtain and wrapped bodily on said rollers whereby said curtain i may be wrapped upon itself on either of said rollers, and brackets supporting said rollers and offering a resistance to the rotation thereof.

3. A curtain-roller having a bore in the end thereof whereby said roller may be out to a shorter length, which shorter length will present said bore, and an attachment adapted to fit on the end of said roller and having a shank adapted to be received in said bore' 4. In combination, a roller adapted to be mounted at one side of a window, a second roller adapted to be mounted at the opposite side of the window, pulleys rotatably mounted on said rollers, an endless cord passing around said pulleys and affording means for rotating the same, ratchet-wheels rigid with said rollers and having teeth projecting in opposite directions, pawls carried by said pulleys and engaging said ratchet-wheels for rotating the same, ribbons connecting said rollers and adapted to wrap bodily upon said rollers and a curtain mounted between said rollers and adapted to roll upon either of the same.

5, A pulley for operating a curtain, consisting of two collars having sleeves with means for engaging each other when slid laterally.

6. A curtain-pulley consisting of a pair of collars having sleeves projecting toward each other, one of said sleeves having a notch therein and the other of said sleeves having a tongue received in said notch, whereby said collars may be interlocked by a lateral movement.

7. In combination, a curtain-roller having a head on the end thereof, and a pulley hav ing a bore receiving a portion of said head. said pulley consisting of oppositely-disposed collars having sleeves projecting toward each other and adapted to interlock by a lateral movement of one of said collars with respect to the other.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAURICE EOKER.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. KENNEY, WILLIAM H. DORIS. 

